Mark's heart was racing at the speed of light. It was difficult to stay in the mood when he kept seeing the disgusted look on Malcom's face. Yet, he didn't stop him. He just paced the length of the warehouse, trying to ignore the moans coming from his brother. Mark caressed Jack's sides, letting his fingers lightly claw his skin in just the way Jack had always liked. He kissed a trail down his exposed chest and back up to his neck. He wasn't sure if Jack could hear him, but he growled close to his skin to let him FEEL the vibration of it. Jack's breathing was sporadic, but his whimpering moans were an encouragement to him. The heart monitor beeped wildly but his heart sounded stronger. Brushing his lips up across Jack's cheek, he whispered to him softly. "Just a bit longer, Jack..." To his surprise, Jack turned his head and when their lips met... Jack kissed him. The kiss caught Mark off guard, but he quickly lost himself to it.

Putting a hand to his cheek, Mark felt the blood leaking over his fingers from under Jack's headset, but he didn't care. He just focused on the kiss. He wanted to give Jack exactly what he wanted. Jack's body jerked against the restraints like he wanted to grab him, pulling at Mark's heartstrings. He wanted to feel his arms around him again. From the desk, Elis typed something quickly, telling them all excitedly. "Almost got it... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!" Mark deepened his kiss with Jack, tears leaking down his own cheeks with the countdown. Holding his breath and praying to whomever for Jack to be alright. Then Elis excitedly yelled out as he clicked something. "GOT HIM!" Jack jerked, then went limp beneath him. His heart monitor stopped going off and the power in the warehouse flicked off before slowly coming back on. For a few seconds no one said anything. They just waited and looked between Jack's body and the computer.

Mark put a hand on Jack's chest, asking anxiously. "What's happening? Is he...?" Elis typed something on his computer, before telling him honestly. "I'm not sure. The system is rebooting with the new code I put in. But... Jack should be out of them game... unless I missed something..." Mark's heart sank, blurting out in distress. "What do you mean 'missed something'?! You said this would get him out!" Elis focused on the computer, yelling back seriously. "IT SHOULD! But Glade lives in the software of the game, Mark! He could have other things keeping Jack in that I just see in the codex of the game! I'm not a paranormal scientist! I can only tell you what I see!" Jack's body inhaled deeply, and his monitor started going off again. Cupping Jack's face, Mark asked him hopefully. "Jack? Can you hear me?" He started for the headset, until Elis shouted out in warning. "DON'T TOUCH THAT YET!" Mark gritted his teeth, snarling out. "Is he out or not?!"

Elis gave him a brief nervous look, before informing him. "We're not out of the woods, boys... I don't... I don't understand what I'm looking at." Felix and Malcolm moved closer to peer at the data rushing over the screen. Getting up, Elis went to Jack to check his vitals manually, informing them all coolly. "He's been in the game so long that we have to bring him out slowly. Otherwise, his mind might snap from the shock. But that's not what concerns me..." Felix jumped away from the computer and Malcolm's cigarette fell from his mouth as the screen on the computer changed. The computer now showed Glade sitting at a desk within the game as if he was having a digital video call with them. Shaking his head, Glade huffed out with amusement. "Well... Call me impressed, Boys. What a cute little display of talent. But did you think it would be that easy to take him from me?" Moving around the gurney, Mark shouted at Glade angrily. "What did you do?!"

Glade locked eyes with Mark, answering rather smugly. "You cleverly took him out of my control... but I told you. HE'S MINE! And there can be only one..." Felix gripped the back of the chair, looking to Mark as he said uneasily. "I don't like the way he said that..." Smirking, Glade told Mark smugly. "Those old headsets are so useful. For scanning brainwaves and retaining information on a subject. You may have disconnected him from me, Mark... but I have scanned him enough to send you a present. He'll kill him while his mind in still connected to a computer server. Even if it's not mine. I can still retrieve him. Then I can finish... my new project. He should be there about... now." Glade winked then the computer blinked off. Mark shared a confused look with the others, before the warehouse doors were kicked open! Sending the thick and heavy truck chain they'd bolted the doors with scattering in fractured pieces across the floor.

Elis went pale as the 'gift' stepped into the warehouse, causing Elis to utter out in horror. "Oh my god..." Mark stepped out to see it better and swallowed hard. It was Jack. Yet... it wasn't. It looked exactly like him except it had one bright green eye and one bright blue. It was dressed in black clothing with a yellow vest that had bold black designs on it, but he could read it. The thing stepped toward them stiffly, its voice heavily distorted as it ordered darkly. "Surrender Jack Mcloughlin's body. Or die." Exhaling slowly, Mark uttered out to the others. "Glade made a fucking android... then that means that Glade doesn't plan to stay in the game..." The android moved forward, and Malcolm grabbed a wrench off a tool table in the warehouse. Rushing up, he swung at the android and struck it across the face! The android staggered away as Malchom yelled out. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" He raised the wrench again to swing again, but the android grabbed his wrist.

Straightening up, they all watched in horror as nanobots mended the gash in the synthetic skin and facial structure. It looked to Malcolm fearlessly, before stating in Jack's perfect and innocent voice. "Malcolm...? Don't hurt me... I'm in here..." Malcolm started to shake, and his eyes widened. The android turned to him and Mark yelled out a few seconds too late. "DON'T LISTEN!" The android slammed its free palm to Malcolm's chest, electrocuting him, before lifting him up like he weighed nothing and threw him up into the second-floor loft of the warehouse. Elis and Felix cried out in shock as the android chuckled distortedly before turning its evil grin on them. Mark looked to Jack's body, then rushed to stand between the android and Jack. The android's smile faded when it uttered out in Jack's perfectly distressed voice. "Mark... Can't you see what he's done to me? Can't you see I'm trapped in here? Mark... save me...?"

Accepting the tire iron that Felix slipped to him discreetly, Mark told the android causally. "That sick game won't work on me. You won't get him." The android's distorted voice returned when it asked smugly. "How do you plan to stop me? I can see you... shaking. You're terrified of me because... you HATE androids." Mark locked his jaw. He really hated that Glade knew that about him. He'd done this on purpose! The android moved menacingly closer to him, telling him in Jack's beautiful voice. "Oh? Your heartrate is increasing... Did I scare you? Or have you finally realized what you're up against?" Mark tried to stand his ground for Jack's sake. He couldn't let this thing get to him. Even if he did want to run. The android tilted its head, chuckling out with distaste. "You hurt me... Mark. It's MY TURN. Shall I rip your heart out? Shall I hurt you until you feel NOTHING?!" A tear rolled down Mark's cheek as he answered in a broken voice. "He programmed you to hurt me. To punish me."

The android reached out to very carefully grasp a hold of Mark's throat, before pulling him close enough to answer in a distorted voice filled with anger. "I HATE YOU. You ruined me!" Swallowing, Mark whispered out to it. "I won't let you hurt him..." The android narrowed his eyes on him, then jerked its head to the side. He had been so focused on Mark that he hadn't seen Felix sneaking up on him until it was too late. Felix clipped the large jaws from a car battery onto the shoulders of the android. Spark's flared off the android's shoulders burning holes into his clothes as it let out a distorted scream. Mark jumped away from the android's hand before its body started sparking wildly. It started to reach for the clamps, but Mark struck it. Over and over, until it fell to the ground and stopped moving. They waited as the car battery burned out of power, but Felix told him seriously. "We should tie it up or something... Just in case it gets back up."

Rolling his eyes, he glared at Felix as he said in disappointment. "Now why did you have to go and say that, Felix? Now I'm gonna have nightmares!" Felix just struggled, then called up to Malcolm who was wincing and muttering curses upstairs. "Are you alright, Malcolm?!" All they could see was Malcolm's hand flicking them off as his response. Which made Felix chuckle in nervous relief. Dropping the tire iron, Mark turned to Elis, asking him seriously. "Tell me something good? Tell me I didn't just help Felix fry the real Jack's brain or something..." Elis shook his head, answering coolly. "No. That thing was programmed using phrases and things recorded from Jack. I'm sure of it. Because..." Elis tapped something on the computer, then very slowly eased the headset off Jack's head. Quickly covering Jack's eyes to protect them from the light, Elis finished gently. "I think... I've got him out."

Mark rushed to his side, but Elis gestured him and Felix to stay back, while warning aloud. "Give him some air! He's gonna be really weak and groggy... if I can get him to adjust..." Elis quickly slipped on a dark sleeping mask over Jack's eyes, informing them coolly. "I slowly shut down the headset. Sending it into sleep mode. So, Jack should be in a forced state of rest. The hard part will be waking up his body... He should let him sleep for a bit... then I'll try to wake him." Felix gestured to the android, chuckling out. "He slept through that?" Elis rolled his eyes, answering swiftly. "Jack's body has heard a lot of noises and ignored them for the noise in the simulation. Which is why waking him will be hard... we've got to wake up his senses to reality again. His body will have trouble eating and moving... It will be like a baby trying to remember how to move and function. We'll have to start in stages and see if his body snaps back on its own."

Mark sighed in relief. It wasn't much but it was enough to give him hope. Turning, he saw Malcolm dragging the android away to some chains that were designed to lift engines out of cars. Tying the android up in the chains, he lifted it off the ground and told the rest of them seriously. "Elis... When you're done with Jack. Come over here and check this thing out." Felix shrugged, cutting in curiously. "Why? Let's melt it down or something." Malcolm pointed to the android, telling him nervously. "That thing is from Glade's company. If they are making these things... We could run into a VERY powerful Glade soon. We need to know how to stop this thing before he makes more. Or worse... what if Glade is in THIS ONE." Mark's face paled. He really didn't think he wanted to know the answer to that. He just wanted Jack to be alright.  To Be Continued...